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Reviews for Chilco Kayak by Seaward Kayaks

Having recently disposed of my Chilco, I feel confident to add my name to a review.

PROS:

Very well built (Made in Canda)

Excellent outfitting

Huge storage volume

Fast

Nice to look at(?)

CONS:

Very very tippy (I had to put one bag of cement in a Sealine bag in both the front and rear compartments to have any kind of primary stability.
I only weigh 175-178lbs.

Gas pedal foot controls for the rudder

Thigh pads were too far forwards and required me moving the seat forwards which made me move the pedals forwards which made the recessed deck fittings get in the way.

Slow to turn. Even when using the rudder and bracing.

No rocker. Waves just swept right through (and I'm not talking big stuff).

Conclusion:
This is a very well built kayak designed for week long expeditions. But for day outings, having to ballast the kayak is a real drag. I also had zero confidence taking it out in kind of fun to nasty conditions. In the end, I went back to my old brand (Valley Kayaks) and bought the Etain with skeg. From now on I'm sticking with British style sea kayaks.

I have been paddling a Chilco since 2006. The previous reviewer has done good job of describing the performance characteristics of the Chilco so I won't repeat. Since I just took delivery of a new Chilco last week, I'll take this opportunity to compare the old with the new.

In 2006, when that years new Chilco came in, I decided to go over it "with a fine tooth comb" since a) I was still new to Seaward products and, b) its my job as I am responsible for purchase and maintenance of a fleet of these boats. After an hour or so of going over all the fittings, playing with the rudder and control lines and giving a careful "hands on" inspection of the glass work and gel coat, I was perplexed: surely there had to be some flaw, somewhere. I asked another experienced instructor to assist me and we spent another half hour trying to find anything we weren't satisfied with. Despite our best efforts, we were left without a single manufacturing defect to complain about. I couldn't believe it, frankly. I simply had never encountered a new boat where I couldn't find something that had been missed by the manufacturer – a small imperfection in the glass layup, cables crimped imperfectly, a screw left loose. It was obvious, to Seaward's credit, that they had covered all the phases of construction with the highest caliber workmanship. The materials were the best available, the fittings and cables were overbuilt and oversized (I still have not had to replace any part of the rudder mechanism after three years of hard institutional use.)

Now to this year's (2009) boat. When the fleet of new boats arrived, I was pleased to see that Seaward continues to package their boats for shipping in what I consider a proper manner. Lots of high quality foam sheet and a bomber outside "scuff layer" of thick corrugated box paper. To make it any beefier they'd have to put it in a wooden box. Once the boats were unpackaged and inspected for shipping damage, I again took the opportunity to set the Chilco aside for more careful inspection together with assistance from another experienced boater. Here's what we found.

Glasswork: Seaward’s reputation for high quality glass layup work was reinforced for me. No cutting corners, 100% weave impregnation, everything finished cleanly. Easily some of the best work I've seen from any manufacturer. Of the 6 boats we received, we found only one flaw (an edge of glass tape had lifted slightly on the forward bulkhead).

Gelcoat: Flawless as in '06.Fittings: Good, but I noticed that the absolute attention to detail that I found in '06 was missing: A screw loose on one of the deck fittings, imperfect knots on perimeter lines (though still functionally fine), and most notably, Seaward has replaced the high-density aft skid guard (previous screwed on which made for straight-forward replacement) with a glued-on piece of what looks like PVC. I cannot help but imagine that the glue will fail with repeated rough landings, but I've been wrong about plastics and adhesives before – perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised. Seaward has also replaced their excellent (though somewhat fussy) foot pegs with a standard Seadog footbrace system. I will admit to limited experience with this system – we've only had them in boats purchased a year ago. However, its worth mentioning that the old system was fabricated almost entirely of steel and aluminum while Seadogs are mostly plastic. Plastics technology has continued to evolve, I know, but I am still wary of plastic fittings. That said, I trust that the folks at Seaward have really given Seadogs a good testing-out before committing to installing them in all their boats.
The hatch covers are still beautifully made and finished. The design is remarkable in that it allows for continued seaworthiness even if the cover is damaged or lost. A great expedition design found on several manufacturers boats and executed to perfection in the Seaward line.
A final note on fittings: Seaward has gone to using internal control cables on their rudder deploy/retract cables. The control is a slider just to the paddler's side. While convenient and good-looking, I have often seen this system fail when used for skeg control in other manufacturer's boats. I do not look forward to maintaining this difficult-to-access system after the boats come back from a couple of months on expedition. The old "lines-on-the-deck" system was a joy to inspect and never failed me.

Seats: Seaward has moved from their proprietary "loose cushion" seat to a more conventional molded plastic seat. If you are not familiar with their old seat cushion system, it is worth reading the review in Sea Kayaker magazine from a few years ago. It doesn't look like it will function well but it does, and after comparing it to the conventional systems seen in most high-end boats I found it superior, placing the paddler low in the boat yet on a super comfy molded cushion. Furthermore, at the end of a day of paddling with the usual getting in and out of the cockpit (with accompanying sand and gravel), the cushion is easily removed allowing complete access to the entire cockpit sole for thorough cleaning. When I balked at the new seat system, Seaward kindly offered to outfit this year's fleet with the tried-and-trusted cushions. I'm a big fan and I'm sad to see that Seaward has elected to drop this system in favor of convention.

Customer service: Apart from the fact that the company is not open on Fridays and that they are closed most of August (during which everyone seems to be off paddling – a good thing for a kayak manufacturer, I suppose, but I'm jealous…), I've enjoyed very good service from everyone at Seaward. The owners (who often answer the phone) and staff really appear to understand my needs as an institutional boater and warehouse manager.

To summarize: The '09 Chilco is a top of the line boat from a reputable manufacturer. It is not an inexpensive boat, but you do get what you pay for: a well-design, beautifully outfitted watercraft that you will be proud of for many years. While there are signs of a slight dip in quality compared to boats made a few years ago, Seaward kayaks continues to manufacture boats that are of the highest quality industry-wide.

I bought my Chilco new about 6 months ago. The Chilco can easily be mistaken for Seaward's Ascente except for its multi-chine hull (which differs from the Ascente's soft chine).

The Chilco is a gorgeous boat to look at, easily the nicest looking kayak I've seen. The workmanship is clearly top notch. The seat is made up of a simple piece of contoured closed cell foam inside a nylon cover that can double as a paddle float. I have spent hours on this seat; it is very comfortable.

The Chilco tracks like an arrow in most conditions, although it does weathercock a little in wind. The only time I use the rudder is in wind, and I am very impressed with the rudder system, and have to question why this system is not found in all new kayaks. The rudder is not a sliding type, but consists of a fixed bracing system with 'gas pedal' type toe pedals. You don't have to give up the ability to brace when the rudder is deployed.

As with most boats that that have little rocker and track as well as this one, the Chilco requires a little effort to turn. Without the rudder, I find it responds well to an edged turn, and it holds a deep edge very well.

If you have big feet, say greater than men's size 11, you might have some difficulty fitting them into this kayak. I think, though, that most paddlers up to 200 lbs would easily fit into this kayak. The cockpit is also easy to enter and exit which is important to me.

For a low volume kayak, the Chilco has plenty of room for touring. I was astounded with how much stuff I have been able to cram into the hatches.

The Chilco is a fast kayak. I am always surprised by how fast it is, and sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to slow down when paddling with others.

The longer I own this kayak, the more I like it. When I first got it, it felt a little tippy, but I don't really notice it any more. While the Chilco can feel a little tender if you're sitting still in it, when paddling it feels very stable.

When I first bought the kayak, I emailed Seaward because my dealer didn't provide me with an owner's manual. 'Heather' responded quickly to my request, and I had my owner's manual in three days. I had an occasion to contact Seaward regarding warranty recently. They responded to my email within an hour. When I talked to 'Lou' over the phone, he talked me through how to find the source of a small cockpit leak. It took about 10 minutes, and it turns out I was missing an o-ring which he is sending me. I really do appreciate good customer service, and this company appears to have it. Oh yes, Seaward offers a lifetime warranty.

If my kayak was stolen (unlikely because I have that sucker bolted to the house with kryptonite), I would buy the Chilco again.

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